What the Toucan Knew
by Marion the Geek
Summary: Gusto's been moping around his cave and Artie Deco is fed up. With Grammi's help, he arranges for Gruffi and Gusto to have a heart to heart.


Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction based on Disney's The Adventures of the Gummi Bears. No money was made from it and no copyright infringement is intended.

What the Toucan Knew

By Marion the Geek

 _For Liz and Dave, because they listened to me rant about Gummi Bears for weeks._

Artie Deco, the only toucan for thousands of miles, sighed as he settled on the pot rack above Grammi Gummi as she cooked. "He just won't listen," said Artie. "He thinks it's hopeless and he's miserable, but he won't do anything about it."

"Poor Gusto," said Grammi, as she mixed up a batch of cookie dough.

"Poor me," Artie squawked. "All the sighing and moping is going to drive me insane." He shook and several feathers came loose and fluttered to the floor. "He's got me so upset I'm molting!"

"You poor thing," said Grammi, passing him a grape. "And you're sure about the object of his affections?"

"Completely," said Artie. "From the moment they met I knew this was going to be a problem."

"Well, a problem is only a problem depending on how you look at it," said Grammi. "I think the attraction might be mutual. In which case it could do a pair of lonely hearts some good."

"Only if Gusto's willing to admit it," said Artie. "He threw a pot of paint at me when I suggested it. And Gruffi isn't exactly Mr. open and honest with his feelings. They could tap dance around this until we're all dead."

Grammi chuckled. "We'll just see about that," she said.

xxx

"Gruffi, I haven't seen Gusto in days," said Grammi, stomping into his workshop without so much as a knock. "Have you seen him?"

Gruffi paused, his cup of tea halfway to his lips, and set down the building plans he'd been reading. "Now that you mention it, it has been sorta quiet around here," he said. "Haven't seen 'em."

"Well I made these marple nut cookies for him," said Grammi, holding up a basket. "Be a dear and take them over to his waterfall."

"Grammi! I was just about to start work on your washing machine," Gruffi protested. "You know you'll be mad if it isn't fixed today."

"Gruffi Gummi, I want you to go look in on Gusto," Grammi said tersely. "That's an order. The washing machine can wait!"

"Awright, awright," Gruffi grumbled. "Fine. You know he's just gotten hung up on one of his cockamemy art projects!"

"Go check! And tell him I want to see him for supper," said Grammi. "Now, git!"

Gruffi downed the last of his tea and took the basket Grammi was holding out, grumbling sourly under his breath. "If it's not one thing it's another. Crazy artist always causing me problems…"

As soon as Gruffi was out the door the toucan came to perch on Grammi's shoulder. "You have such a way with that big oaf," he said, flashing her a smile. "Nicely done."

"Years of practice, Artie, dear," said Grammi. "Let's go get you some more grapes before Tummi finds the rest of the ones I hid for ya." The bird let out a happy little trill as she stroked his beak and headed for the kitchen.

Gruffi stomped out into the crisp fall day and began the trek to Gusto's studio. As he neared the waterfall, he could see Gusto's elevator was at the top, so it was likely the other bear was home.

"Gusto!" He called from the bottom. There was no answer. He pulled the bucket ashore and dumped it out. He used the guide rope to ease the bucket back to the top without getting it under the rushing water and the elevator came down. He stepped aboard and gave the rope a flick, sending the bucket under the rushing stream and the weight of the water lifting him to Gusto's hideaway.

"Gusto!" he called again from the entryway. "Gusto, where are you?" He wandered into the main room.

"Back here, Gruff," Gusto called, sounding somber.

Gruffi wandered further back into an offshoot of Gusto's main cave where he found the pale blue bear standing in front of a large canvas on an easel. "Don't look," said Gusto. "This painting is going nowhere!" He didn't even turn around to greet Gruffi. He looked miserable, face screwed up in concentration, shoulders slumped in defeat. "This one is a total failure, just like me."

Gruffi rolled his eyes. "Grammi sent over some marple nut cookies," he said, setting the basket aside. "She wants you to come to dinner. I think she's worried."

"Aw, that's sweet of her," Gusto said absently. He chewed on the end of his paintbrush.

"You'll be there, then?" Gruffi asked. "She'll send me back to drag you if you don't show."

Gusto finally turned to look at him. "I don't know, Gruffimundo," said Gusto. "I'm not really feeling like good company today." He sighed. "I don't think I'm up to dinner with the whole gang, to be honest."

Gruffi scowled. "Grammi won't like it," he said. "And when she's unhappy, she goes out of her way to make me unhappy." He came further into the room and looked around. "I cannot believe you kept that thing," he said, stomping over to a shelf where a bust of his own visage rested. It was from the Gummi Dummy.

Gusto laughed. "That's the original prototype, actually," he said. "Not the one you remember. You can tell, because it's smiling."

Gruffi examined the face of the carved wooden bust with a look of distaste. "Why didn't you use this one?"

"The wood for the base split while I was working on it," Gusto explained. "I couldn't secure it to the wheel apparatus. I thought it was cute, though, so I kept it. The top half, anyway."

"Cute, huh?" Gruffi muttered skeptically as he examined the statue. "It's not a very good likeness."

"Well, I'd have to see you smile more to have done better," said Gusto with a laugh. "I tried. That's why the other one was scowling."

"I see," said Gruffi, turning away from the statue and grumbling something under his breath.

"Well, Gruff, you could always pose for me sometime," Gusto suggested helpfully.

"Like I'll ever have time for that," Gruffi said shortly. He looked around some more. "Hey, where's that dratted bird?"

Gusto made a sound that was nothing short of anguished and Gruffi turned to look at him. Gusto frowned and slumped down to sit against the wall. "Artie and I had a big fight yesterday," he said. "I haven't seen him since."

Gruffi went over to stand closer to Gusto. "He'll come back," he said with certainty. "What did you and the bird brain fight about, anyway?"

Gusto looked up at him uncomfortably and pressed his lips together. "I don't want to talk about it," he said after a moment.

Gruffi looked stunned. "You. Don't. Want. To. Talk?" he asked. "Well, that has to be a first."

Gusto gave him a withering glare. "Ha ha, very funny," he said. He leaned back against the wall and let his eyes fall shut.

His melancholy mood was starting to worry Gruffi. The brown bear crossed his legs and folded them under himself as he plopped onto the floor. "Gusto, what's going on with you?" he asked, now seated directly in front of his friend.

Gusto opened one eye slowly. "It's nothing, Gruffi," he said.

"Nothing, my eye," growled Gruffi. "Something's got you upset and I want to know what. Was it the fight with Artie?"

Gusto blinked and was surprised by the amount of concern on the curmudgeonly bear's face. "Well, the fight didn't help," he said finally.

Gruffi crawled over and sat down next to Gusto, leaning back against the wall. "Talk," was all he said.

Gusto sighed and focused his gaze on the ceiling. "Artie's got it in his head that I'm in love," he said softly. "That it's affecting my work. And that I'm moping because of it."

"Well, are you?" asked Gruffi.

"Moping?"

"In love."

Gusto sighed again. "No," he said. "I'm not in love. What an awful idea."

"You look like you've been dragged behind a wagon," said Gruffi. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Not well," Gusto admitted.

"What about eating? You look kinda pale and dour," said Gruffi.

"Thanks a lot," said Gusto, an edge to his voice. "And no… I just haven't been very hungry lately."

"Right," said Gruffi. "You can't eat. You can't sleep. You can't even paint. But you're not in love."

Gusto turned to glare at him.

"So who is she?" asked Gruffi.

Gusto glared a few seconds longer, then resumed staring up at the ceiling. The silence between them stretched until Gusto pounded one fist on the floor. He didn't look at Gruffi. "He."

Gruffi raised an eyebrow and watched Gusto from the side, waiting patiently for him to say more. Eventually it became clear that he wasn't going to elaborate. Gruffi turned toward him. "So you are in love?"

"I don't know," said Gusto. "Maybe. Probably." He chuckled bitterly to himself, still avoiding Gruffi's eyes. "Never was into girls. I've been trying for a year to figure out how I'm gonna break that one to Sunni."

"She'll get over it," said Gruffi. "You just had the unfortunate luck of being the first Gummi outside of the tiny group of us she grew up with that she ever got to know. Her crush was more or less inevitable."

"So it isn't my dashing good looks, my wit, and my charm, then?" Gusto waggled his eyebrows. He was smiling at Gruffi now.

Gruffi gave a short laugh. "I'm sure they help," he said.

Gusto rested the back of his paw against his forehead dramatically. "It's a curse," he exclaimed.

"I'll bet," said Gruffi. He held Gusto's gaze. "So who is he, then?"

Gusto blushed and looked back toward the ceiling. "I definitely can't tell you that," he said.

Gruffi frowned but let it go. "Okay, then," he said. "Why did you fight with Artie? You trying not to be in love?"

Gusto looked at him again, his eyes sad. "Wouldn't you try not to be in love if you knew the one you love couldn't love you back?"

Gruffi wanted to reach out and hug Gusto. The pain on the other bear's face was easy to see and heartbreaking. He frowned a little more. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Have you told him?" He reached out to take Gusto's hand, but let his own hand drop as Gusto turned away.

"No, I… I haven't told him," he said. "I'm holding on to that last illusion of hope. And yes, I'm pretty sure."

Gruffi put his paws on his hips. "Now you're just being obstinate," he said. "You're deciding for someone else who they love. And you're torturing yourself in the process."

"You sound like Artie," said Gusto with a sigh.

"Then as much as I hate to admit it, the bird brain might be right," said Gruffi. "Who is it, Gusto? Believe me, you can't shock me. Tummi got hit with a love potion and came home professing his love for Lady Bane. I have no shock left for love pronouncements. Though if you say Igthorn or Toadie, I will have to excuse myself to go gag."

Gusto turned to him chuckling in spite of himself. "There," said Gruffi, reaching out to chuck Gusto under the chin. "That's more like the Gusto I know."

"I like my ogres taller," Gusto said with a wink. "That Gad, what a guy. And Zook…"

Gruffi covered Gusto's mouth with a paw. "Please stop," he said.

Gusto giggled, but nodded. "Don't worry, Gruffi," he said, when Gruffi took the paw away. "No ogres, no villians. Just your run of the mill Gummi Bear." He looked Gruffi in the eye. "A real down to earth sort of guy. Practical. And a little bit stodgy."

"My kind of fellow," said Gruffi. He smiled a little, but he didn't really look surprised.

"You could say that," said Gusto. "He's different enough from me that I drive him nuts. But he's a good friend, just the same."

"Well, he sure is a lucky guy, whoever he is," said Gruffi, reaching a hand under his own hat to scratch his head. He looked away from Gusto, toward the far wall and the old Gummi Dummy.

Gusto chuckled and looked at his hands on his lap. "Now you're being deliberately obtuse, Grufferino," he said. "I've basically told you who I love, already. We both only know one Gummi Bear like that. You're just pretending like you don't get it."

Gruffi chuckled sheepishly. "You're right," he admitted. "I am." He put an arm around Gusto's shoulders. Gusto stiffened slightly before relaxing against him with a glum sigh. "You're going to be alright, Gusto," he said, in what for Gruffi passed as gently.

"Easy for you to say," Gusto grumbled. "You aren't stuck feeling this way."

Gruffi coughed. "Well, you don't know everything," said Gruffi. He held Gusto a little tighter while he tried to think of the right thing to say. Eventually he gave it up and stood, grabbing Gusto's arms and pulling him to his feet. He tugged him toward the room with the waterfall and the sunlight. "It's too dark back here," he said by way of explanation.

Gusto blinked. "Gruffi, what are you doing?" he asked. "Let me go."

"Not yet," said Gruffi. He pulled Gusto to the bench by his low coffee table. "Sit with me." Gusto was looking confused, but after a moment he sat. Gruffi sat down next to him. "That's better. You spent too much time in that dim room. It was affecting your mood."

Gusto blinked again and tugged on his forelock as he stared at Gruffi, trying to puzzle out his words and behavior. "So, I don't know everything, huh?" He gave Gruffi a tentative half smile.

Gruffi blushed slightly. "No, you don't. You always think you do, but you don't." He looked away from Gusto and stretched with practised nonchalance. An obvious affectation. "It's a nice day. Maybe you should take a walk. Get some air. The sunshine'll do you good. And you should definitely come to dinner. I don't want to hear it from Grammi."

Gusto raised an eyebrow. "Look at you, acting like nothing is different," he said, with a somewhat perplexed grin.

"Nothing is different," said Gruffi, turning back to look at him. "What's changed? Your feelings certainly haven't and neither have mine."

Gusto gave a short laugh. "Gruff, you don't get off that easy," he said, poking Gruffi in the chest gently.

Gruffi looked at him dubiously. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, I love you, you old grouch," said Gusto. "If you love me too, well then… then I want to kiss you."

Gruffi swallowed self consciously. "Awright. Go ahead," he said.

Suddenly Gusto froze like he was stuck in the mud in front of an oncoming wagon, his eyes growing large. "Wait… really?" He'd kind of expected more of a fight.

Gruffi sighed and his eyes narrowed. "Yeah, really," he said.

"O… Okay," said Gusto. He gulped. He started to lean toward Gruffi and then chickened out. He sat back, heart pounding. "I can't," he said with a dramatic groan. He turned his head away and worried his lip with his teeth.

Gruffi rolled his eyes. "Oh, for the love of Gum," he grumbled, crawling onto his knees on the bench. He took Gusto's chin in both of his paws and turned him back to face him. He brushed Gusto's forelock aside and gently caressed his cheek, looking him in the eyes. He paused, giving Gusto the chance to pull away. The pale blue bear didn't move, but smiled a little. Gruffi covered Gusto's mouth with his own.

When Gruffi pulled back several seconds later, Gusto was staring at him, grinning foolishly. A smug smile tugged at Gruffi's lips. "Better?" Gruffi asked softly.

Gusto exuberantly tackled him onto his back on the bench, kissing him fiercely. He pulled back a moment later, blushing, but still grinning. He was still laying on top of Gruffi, straddling him. "Better," he breathed.

"Maniac," said Gruffi, chuckling. He was still flat on his back. He reached up and cupped Gusto's cheek with his paw and sighed, giving him a withering look.

Gusto leaned down to kiss his nose. "Grouch," he said. He climbed off and helped Gruffi to sit up, wrapping his arms around shorter, thickly muscled bear. Gruffi returned the embrace. Gusto sighed contentedly. "This is nice."

Gruffi smiled in spite of himself and held his dear friend tighter.

Gusto nuzzled his neck. "Can I keep you?" he whispered into Gruffi's ear.

Gruffi pulled back enough that he could look into Gusto's eyes. "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easy, did you?"

Gusto smirked. "Was that a yes?"

"Yes, confound it, yes," said Gruffi. "You're so dramatic!"

Gusto's smile grew more mischievous as he pulled back a little further. "It's my hat, isn't it?" he asked, fluttering his eyelashes. "You love it." He tossed his hair.

Gruffi struck his own forehead with the palm of his hand, hard, and dragged his paw down across his face. "What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered.

"You like it," said Gusto, leaning in for another kiss.

"Great Gummies help me," said Gruffi, when their lips parted. "I do." He gave Gusto his most put upon expression.

"I love you, Gruffi," said Gusto, his tone less playful. He looked Gruffi in the face, searchingly.

"Yeah, yeah," said Gruffi. He patted Gusto's cheek. He paused, making Gusto squirm just a little. "I love you, too, Gusto." Gusto beamed. Gruffi kissed him soundly then sat quietly with his arms around him for a long while. "We better head back to the glen," he said after a time. "We wouldn't want to be late for dinner."

Gusto grinned. "After, we can come back here and discuss desert," he said with a conspiratorial wink.

Gruffi blushed crimson and coughed roughly.

"C'mon, Grufferoni," said Gusto. "I meant those lovely cookies Grammi sent me."

"Uh, huh," said Gruffi. "Sure you did."

The End


End file.
